Many cosmetic and beauty care items are sold in packages mounted from point-of-purchase display racks in which a forwardly projecting hook receives a plurality of such packages mounted thereon via an opening through a portion of the package itself. Generally, these packages take the form of a cardboard backing imprinted with advertising indicia or descriptive contents over which a clear bubble pack is formed displaying the contents therein. Once purchased, the packaging is torn away and discarded and the contents, e.g., cosmetics or personal care accessories, placed in the purchaser's purse or cosmetic case constructed especially for such purpose. Such items include lipsticks, makeup, nail care files and the like.
Obviously, other articles are sold in this manner and the present invention relates to a device in which not only the aforementioned cosmetics and personal care items can be sold and displayed but for practical purposes almost any type of article. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to cosmetic and personal care items and the term “cosmetic case” in its broadest sense refers to a case or holding package that can be used for any relevant article or articles.
The cosmetic cases referred to in the present invention normally take the form of a cloth, plastic or leather-like container of a longitudinal overall shape and having an interior compartment or compartments primarily formed by sewing, sealing or otherwise attaching opposed side panels at their top edges and one side edge in a sealing relationship so that articles may be placed and held conveniently within the pouch-type interior provided by such configuration. Preferably, one of the longitudinal sides provides for an opening and which opening may be normally resealed by any convenient mechanism such as a slide fastener, zipper, snaps or springs. Normally the cosmetic case or purse is opaque, that is, not translucent or transparent, such that the case must be opened to view the contents in the interior pouch. On the other hand, the above referred to point-of-purchase and display packages are generally provided with a transparent or translucent front package face so that the contents therein can be easily viewed. Other than the aforementioned fact regarding visibility and that the packages are provided with a top opening through which they may be suspended from the forwardly projecting hook, the display packages may take almost any size, shape or configuration and are generally discarded after the contents thereof have been purchased and removed for use.
It would be immeasurably convenient, however, if an aesthetically acceptable point-of-purchase display package could be additionally used as a cosmetic case or purse which could accommodate not only the item or items purchased by the consumer but other convenient items as well that may be purchased at a later time or prior thereto. Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a point-of-display sales package, which additionally serves as a cosmetic case or purse.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a generally elongated sales display package having opposed generally flexible side panels positioned in face-to-face relationship to each other and including sealed top and side edges to form a interior space between the panels accessible by an opening provided by an unsealed side edge preferably along one of the longitudinal edges thereof. It should be pointed out that normal configuration of such a combination cosmetic purse and display package would be rectangular having opposed upper and lower edges connected by a side edge wherein the opposite side edge has a pair of side panel edges serving to form the opening into the pouch or interior portion of the purse. In addition thereto, one of the upper edges is provided with an extension through which an opening to receive the display hook is formed. Such extension is formed in such a manner that it may be easily removed from the upper edge of the combined purse and display package such that the final configuration would not indicate the original previous use as a display package when utilized as a purse after the purchase of such item.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.